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Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC

Some history: I was the OP on a four year old thread about the Chinese LKS MH-DA004 DAC. It achieved an underground buzz. The open architecture of its predecessor MH-DA003 made it the object of a lot of user mods, usually to its analog section, rolling op amps or replacing with discrete. The MH-DA004 with its new ESS chips and JFET analog section was called better then the modified older units. It has two ES9038pro DAC chips deliberately run warm, massive power supply, powered Amanero USB board, JFET section, 3 Crystek femtosecond clocks, Mundorf caps, Cardas connectors, etc., for about $1500. For this vinyl guy any reservation about ESS chips was resolved by the LKS implimentaion, but their revelation of detail was preserved, something that a listener to classic music especially appreciated. I made a list of DACs (many far more expensive) it was compared favorably to in forums. Modifications continued, now to clocks and caps. Components built to a price can be improved by costlier parts and the modifiers wrote glowingly of the SQ they achieved.

Meanwhile, during the 4 years after release of the MH-DA004, LKS (now Musetec) worked on the new MH-DA005 design, also with a pair of ES9038pro chips. This time he used more of the best components available. One torroidal transformer has silver plated copper. Also banks of super capacitors that act like batteries, solid silver hookup wire, 4 femtoclocks each costing multiples of the Crysteks, a revised Amanero board, more of the best European caps and a new partitioned case. I can't say cost NO object, but costs well beyond. A higher price, of course. Details at http://www.mu-sound.com/DA005-detail.html

The question, surely, is: How does it sound? I'm only going to answer indirectly for the moment. I thought that the MH-DA004 was to be my last DAC, or at least for a very long time. I was persuaded to part with my $$ by research, and by satisfaction with the MH-DA004. Frankly, I have been overwhelmed by the improvement; just didn't think it was possible. Fluidity, clarity, bass extension. A post to another board summed it up better than I can after listening to piano trios: "I have probably attended hundreds of classical concerts (both orchestral and chamber) in my life. I know what live sounds like in a good and bad seat and in a good and mediocre hall. All I can say is HOLY CRAP, this sounds like the real thing from a good seat in a good hall. Not an approximation of reality, but reality."

melm
sns
3,003 posts
 

@metaldetektor I believe some have reported as much as 400 hours. I never started serious listening below 100 hours. Easy to burn in dac, just leave on with signal flowing through, don't need music playing through speakers.

 

@sonic79 This is assuming one is using HQPlayer. Certainly, if one wants to use HQPlayer to full potential extreme processing power needed, Roon DSP doesn't require as much. I believe even Roon Nucleus or any NUC with I5 and above is sufficient.

auxinput
2,920 posts
 

The Uptone JS2 won't work with M1 mini, internal power supply not compatible, its designed to accept SMPS.

Maybe you can expand more here.  The first link I provided is the Teradak internal filter.  It has a 5.5mm x 2.5mm standard DC socket.  It's just a matter of connecting a standard linear power supply of adequate value.  Teradak might be doing something specific with their internal filter, but there is nothing special about their linear power supplies.

 

sonic79
80 posts
 

@sns 

That's true. My 2011 MBP with dual core i7 can do DSD128 through Roon without much struggle, although Roon's modulators and filters are lighter. I haven't tried DSD256 or higher as my DAC is limited to 128 DoP. General rule (at least in regard to HQP) is doubling the sample rate doubles the load on the CPU. I brought up rigorous processing criteria because @fmzip uses HQP and reported a NUC was insufficient for DSD512 even with the non-EC modulator. HQP really is a different beast when it comes to DSP.

sns
3,003 posts
 

I've made presumption JS 2 won't work with stock internal SMPS, and even if any LPS would work with it, what's the point since Its SMPS.

auxinput
2,920 posts
 

The Mac Mini runs internally using 12V DC (direct current). All electronics run with DC direct current with various voltages.

The Teradak internal filter completely replaces the internal SMPS (switch-mode power supply) and it provides a 5.5mm x 2.5mm socket that you can connect to any standard 12V linear power supply with adequate current capability.

It doesn’t matter whether the 12V DC current is supplied by the SMPS or a linear power supply such as Teredak, Uptone, Keces, etc.. It’s the same result either way.

Here’s a video showing the whole process. It requires disassembly of the mac mini, but you can do it with careful patience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUZMYy45CRs

The M1 mini disassembly might by a little different, but the basic principle is the same.  Here's the M1 disassembly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4ArjHz4gd4

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